IVGID tip: How to prepare your ski or snowboard for winter

EDITOR'S NOTE: "Tip of the week" is a periodic feature running in the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza, in partnership with the Incline Village General Improvement District, providing locals with various tips pertaining to the recreation opportunities and services the district provides.

You may be ready for ski season, but is your gear ready? Bust your skis and boards out of the garage, blow off the dust and get ready for winter.

This past spring we went over some key steps on how to store your ski and snowboard equipment for the off-season. The condition of your gear will tell whether you took that advice or not but either way it's time to get it ready for winter.

Step 1: Scrape off all the excess storage wax with a plastic scraper.

Step 2: If you put your gear away with sharp edges then the next step is to take a gummy stone and run it over the edges. This will not dull your edge and it will take off any rust that might have formed during the long summer.

Step 3: Now it's time to wax. Pick out a wax according to the conditions. Heat up an old iron and drip a liberal amount all over the base. Run the iron over to melt all the wax into the base. Make sure to really soak the wax on any white patches you see on the base. The white indicates lack of wax and skis/boards are in danger of delaminating if this goes on for a long period of time. Scrape down any excess wax once it has cooled with a scotch bright pad. Go to town on the base back and forth until the base is extra smooth.

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If you would rather have a pro get your gear in shape, come by the Diamond Peak Rental Shop for 15 percent off a preseason tune. Stop by Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 25-27 and Dec. 2-11.